Six years after introducing diesel electric multiple unit or DEMU trains, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has rejected a proposal to buy any more of them, saying they are unfit for Bangladesh.
The proposal was placed in a meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council or ECNEC chaired by Hasina in Dhaka on Wednesday.
“DEMU trains are unfit to run. We must import some other trains,” Planning Secretary Md Nurul Amin quoted Hasina as saying in the meeting.
She made the remark when the proposed project to purchase DEMU trains for the launch of shuttle trains from Bangabandhu Hi-Tech Park in Gazipur to Dhaka was placed in the meeting.
“As the previously purchased DEMU trains did not come in handy for the passengers, and many of these have broken down, these won’t be purchased anymore,” Hasina added, according to the secretary.
The prime minister also ordered reformation of the project and import of some other trains.
She also asked that the Dhaka-Kaliakoir office-hour train be run without stoppage.
Hasina inaugurated DEMU train services on Dhaka-Narayanganj route in a ceremony on Apr 24, 2013 at Kamalapur Railway Station.
Bangladesh imported 20 DEMU trains from China at abut Tk 4.27 billion for the project worth total Tk 6.55 billion.
Half of the DEMU trains imported that time are out of operation now, Bangladesh Railway Additional Director General Mihir Kanti Guha told bdnews24.com.
The situation has forced a halt to DEMU train services on Dhaka-Cumilla, Akhaura-Sylhet, Lalmonirhat-Parbotipur, Laksam-Chattogram and Laksam-Chandpur routes, he said.
The remaining 10 sets of DEMU trains operate on Dhaka-Gazipur, Dhaka-Narayanganj and Dinajpur-Panchagar routes, according to the official.
Four more sets are awaiting repairs, after which services will resume on some more routes, Mihir said.
Source: Bdnews24.